


The Path of Life

by f4ybay



Category: Warrior Nun (TV)
Genre: Avatrice, Beatrice's POV, Canon, F/F, KIND of canon, Pre-Canon, along season 1
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:28:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25363876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/f4ybay/pseuds/f4ybay
Summary: (my take on) What led to Sister Beatrice becoming a Sister Warrior. Focused on Beatrice’s character along season 1 from the second chapter onwards but with also mentions of the other characters. Diving deeper into Beatrice's life and thoughts in between what we saw in season 1 of Warrior Nun.Avatrice is also going to be heavily implied.
Relationships: Sister Beatrice/Ava Silva
Comments: 19
Kudos: 108





	1. Life Before

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, I have no idea why I wrote this but I did so please leave some feedback or something, good or bad, I will take it since this is my first time ever writing anything aside from schoolwork...
> 
> I have been so obsessed with Warrior Nun and so intrigued by Beatrice's character so I thought I would give her some background story. Currently thinking of this to be a 3 chapter piece but may become longer, leet's see. the characters in this story do not belong to me, except one (ofc the one that isn't mentioned on the show). My character will only be mentioned in the chapter, I hope you like this! this is mainly just a background story of Beatrice; from childhood until she joins the OCS. 
> 
> also, I did this all by myself :( and had no one to read or edit it so anyway, please go easy on me hahaha, enjoy!

She’s always been an over-achiever, perhaps due to her family background or the genetics passed on to her but it was most likely in hopes of her parents finally verbalising their pride in their only daughter. Beatrice was not sure either but she just knew that she always wanted to do well, even at a young age. She learnt her native language from her parents, as well as French and Italian. She did ballet and played the violin. She also swam for sport in school. In all those, Beatrice excelled. 

When she did well for tests or exams, Beatrice’s father would sometimes take her for ice-cream or spend an hour more of his time with her as a reward. Her mother was less expressive though, she would praise her occasionally with a pat on the head or a smile while saying “That’s good, Beatrice.”. It was never more. Beatrice didn't grow up with plenty of hugs and kisses but it never really bothered her, she just wanted to make them proud. 

Beatrice experienced quite a handful of things at a young age given her family’s status and wealth. She got to travel around more frequently compared to her peers; seeing more of the world and being exposed to various global issues, she developed a care for those who did not have a voice, those who were marginalized. Despite being surrounded by people with conservative mindsets and lifestyles, Beatrice’s sensitivity to what goes on beyond the doors of her home fuelled her desire to give the oppressed a voice. 

By the time she was twelve years old, Beatrice often got into arguments with her mother because of her liberated perceptions. She was adamant in speaking her mind and going against the norms that she was taught to live by.

“That’s wrong, Beatrice.”

“That’s unacceptable, Beatrice.”

“We did not raise you that way, Beatrice”

She heard those phrases countless times that as she became a teenager, she had learnt to keep her mouth shut, trying her best to be acceptable in the eyes of her parents. There are times, however, when she would slip up and express her anger at the dinner table or in the car regarding the inequality she had watched from the news earlier. It wasn’t shocking that her father would use her young age to warrant her “ignorance” or her mother’s disappointment with how gullible she was to believe everything she heard. 

As Beatrice grew older, it seemed as though all the knowledge she had beyond her school syllabus were flawed. The bitterness and rage that burnt inside of her for the injustice that millions go through remained as they were, feelings. She chose not to talk about such important or heavy subjects anymore in fear of being mocked or casted out. Beatrice was left with little confidence in herself. To grow up being perpetually told that your way of thinking was flawed by the people who were supposed to support and understand you the most, who really could blame her? She tried to fit in, tried making friends and she did, but she always, always felt the need to be conscious and wary of the things she shared with them. To say the least, she had friends but she never felt at ease.

This, however, changed at 14 years old during the second half of her school year. There was a new transfer pupil who was from the other side of the country. She was assigned the seat next to Beatrice in Math class and for a reason neither of them were unsure of, they got along exceptionally well. They walked to their classes together and sat with each other during lunch every chance they got. They realised they had plenty in common, they both liked dancing -- Beatrice shared with her that she had been learning ballet since the age of 6 -- they loved animals and listening to pop music. Beatrice, after so long, felt comfortable with her new friend. She was liberated and expressed her views so passionately with Beatrice that she was constantly in awe. She wondered if her friend’s parents had also told her that her thoughts were flawed too.

The two girls spent so much time with each other and perhaps it was the feeling of being understood that made Beatrice kiss her friend’s cheek. It was quick, almost impetuous but the other girl didn’t seem to mind. Even when Beatrice looked like a deer in the headlights after her spontaneous gesture, her friend reassured her that it was normal, her friends from her old school did it all the time. It happened more from time to time when they were alone; mostly when either of them got over-excited about a topic that they’d shared with each other or when they figured out how to solve a math question that they had been struggling with for awhile. 

Until one day, it wasn't just on the cheek anymore, it happened as they walked from school to the bus stop. After talking about how frustrated Beatrice became with one of her teachers who refused to take a second look at her work, she felt her friend cup her face and give her a kiss on her lips. Beatrice was stunned by this but her friend just laughed, “You were so adorable!”. A blush formed on Beatrice’s cheek and for the rest of the day until she tucked herself to bed that night, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. It made her stomach flutter and her heart felt warm. It happened again. And again. And again, for weeks. Beatrice wasn’t sure what those kisses meant or if she was in a relationship, all she knew was she liked them and she didn’t want to stop. 

Of course, Beatrice was foolish to think that she was always going to feel that way. That she would feel happy and wanted and loved. One day, as she and her friend discussed their assignment in her bedroom, Beatrice felt a hand on her waist, pulling her closer then feeling a pair of lips crash onto hers. She wasn’t strong enough to resist the desire she felt so gave in. Beatrice kissed her back with the same amount of energy. What happened next she will never forget. The door swung open and before realisation hit her, her mother’s hand grabbed her violently away from her friend. 

The next moments were a blur but that day was the last she saw of her friend or her school. She didn’t remember getting yelled at or getting hit by her parents that night but what she remembered was falling asleep on a pillow soaked with her own tears. The next day, as she sheepishly went down to the dining area, all ready to go to school, her father muttered for heer to return to her room without even glancing at his daughter. Surely she heard it wrongly so she walked closer to the table but after her third step, “You’re not going back to that school. Stay in your room and pack your bags, we’re leaving for Switzerland tomorrow.” was what her mother declared, her voice stern and sure. Beatrice stood there for a minute, trying to comprehend her mother’s words. She examined both her parents and realised that it was really happening. She ran to her room, dropping her backpack as soon as the door closed and sobbed. She sobbed and sobbed until her eyes felt like it couldn’t produce anymore tears. She layed in bed, feeling empty yet crushed, Beatrice stayed in that position until the sky started turning dark again. 

It was gloomy and all stones. There were nuns. Her mother had dropped her off at a catholic boarding school. She vaguely remembered being toured around by an older girl with an accent but other than being shown which of the three beds was hers in the small room, Beatrice knows nothing and knows nobody. 

The next two years flew by quickly for Beatrice. She had kept herself busy at all times with anything she could possibly do. She excelled in her studies and other activities. She had taken several classes each semester break just so that she wouldn’t have to go back to London, although time has passed, the ache from being sent away and being unwanted were still raw. Aikido, learning Latin, cooking classes, meditation. Literally anything the school offered, she would sign up for. During lunch, she would bury her nose in the library or study ahead of the schedule. She also learnt to read the Bible and it became one of her favourite things to do. 

The nuns would always share their faith and how loved they felt by God with the blessings he provided them. Beatrice was captivated by the promise and love that the Bible had spoken about, giving her a sense of longing for it as well. Beatrice started praying in her fourth month at the boarding school and continued to do so every single day. By her eighth month in boarding school she had finished reading the bible, fascinated by the stories. When her heart felt downcasted, she would pray and try to unburden her thoughts unto God. She had so much faith in Him despite being unable to actually see Him or hear Him. It felt good to know that she was loved and accepted even when she couldn’t do so herself. 

Following graduation, she had decided to take her vows as a nun, to dedicate her life to the church and be a servant of God. She continued learning new skills and honing the ones she already had for another two years before she had gained the attention of the OCS. Shotgun Mary was the first to notice Beatrice. Along with a group of Sister Warriors, Mary, had been chasing demons along an alley near the convent in Switzerland that Beatrice was assigned at. Beatrice caught Mary’s eye when she protected a young boy from being attacked by a possessed man nearly twice her size. Beatrice ensured that she was able to subdue the man without hurting him excessively using various martial arts techniques she had learnt before. Mary quickly pulled Beatrice aside while other Sister Warriors performed an exorcism on the poor man. 

Within three weeks of their first encounter, Beatrice received a letter of her reassignment to the OCS with Mary’s number written at the end of the page to contact her if she “needed anything”. Surprised with this sudden news, Beatrice dialed the number and spoke with Mary on the phone. Mary tried to explain to the younger woman what the OCS was about without indulging into too much detail over the phone in order to prevent Beatrice from thinking that it was all a joke. Who would believe if they were told that there were demons lurking around the earth and that nuns, out of all people, were hunting them?  
Beatrice wasn’t sure what led her to accept the recruitment, but she did. Maybe it was the fact that someone had taken interest in her, someone recognized her abilities, someone wanted her. Upon her arrival at the OCS, she was greeted by Mary outside the church and once she entered, it was unlike anything she had ever seen before. Training mats, martial arts dummy and target boards were scattered all over the place. She was in awe, Beatrice literally stopped in her tracks. She was greeted by other sisters, including Shannon and Lillith. Mary and Shannon had stayed with her the whole time while Father Vincent introduced what the OCS was about. Once everything had been explained to her, Beatrice was still skeptical but more than that, she believed the Father’s words. 

In OCS she found a purpose, she found friends, sisters. After years of being alone and keeping to herself, Beatrice found a home. She trained well with the sisters and learnt new things from her seniors. She started going on missions after a couple of months of training and it was exhilarating, she felt useful and efficient which warranted praises from her sisters. Despite the risk and chaos of the job, Beatrice enjoyed it very much and was grateful to be called to do something for the good and safety of the humankind. In spite of that, Beatrice never wallowed in pride, she prayed every single time before she went on a mission for God to guide her and watch over, making known to her the path of life. Beatrice made sure that she emphasised on maintaining trust in God above whenever she trained younger recruits. 

Beatrice made good friends with the other Sister Warriors, knowing that they always had each others’ backs during missions. She became particularly close to Sisters Shannon, Lilith and Camila -- who had joined later than she did and had been training under her guidance -- as well as Mary. Beatrice felt comfortable enough with them to be able to share a few stories of her past with them as well as physical touches, mostly with Camila whomst she saw as a younger sister. In spite of that, Beatrice never let her guard down, the walls she had built around herself still formidable. That, just like everything in life does, changed as well on the night that they lost Sister Shannon, her friend, her sister, her mentor and the Halo Bearer.


	2. Life During: 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> consists of Beatrice's POV during episode 1. 
> 
> slight backstory upon hearing Camila play the piano

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello, im here again, not even 24 hours after publishing this. this chapter was much easier to write (imo) because i didn't have to think too much. I was going to upload one chapter with both episodes 1 and 2 content but I got excited so since this one isn’t too long. thank you so much for those who took time to post comments on this story, u guys really inspired me to write this one <33 i hope you guys like it!
> 
> Also, I initially thought this would only be 3 chapters but I think it will be much longer than that now. Feel free to comment your thoughts down!

It was supposed to be a short and routine mission. It was supposed to be a routine recovery mission. It wasn’t supposed to escalate into what it has now. Undoubtedly, Beatrice had expected a small fight, it was rare in their line of work that violence could be avoided entirely, but this wasn’t a small fight. Bullets were flying everywhere, the sound of metal shell casings met the ground. It was loud, chaotic until there was silence. 

Beatrice found herself on the floor, her body sore. She didn’t get shot, that she knew. _Why am I on the floor?_ She glanced back and forth. Her ears were ringing, and her vision blurry. There were only silhouettes, but the sound of screaming started to fill her ears. She stumbled as she got up, frantically looking around. Camila was a few meters away, still unconscious, Lilith was up, hitting a man across the face until he collapsed. She could see Mary on the floor, but it was too dark, making it difficult to tell what she was doing. 

_Where’s Sister Shannon?_

Beatrice walked over to Mary’s direction. Why is Mary crying? Looking down, she paused. Mary was supporting Shannon’s head on her lap, whispering words that were inaudible to Beatrice. She stared longer. Glowing, blue fragments were scattered on the Halo Bearer’s torso, Divinium, it’s Divinium. 

“Beatrice! What the hell are you doing?” Mary yelled at her, that part she understood clearly. “Get help! Please.” 

Beatrice needed to act fast. _She can’t merely be standing around. She needed to make herself useful_. She called out, to no one in particular, to get the van. They needed to get out of that warehouse. She kneeled across Mary; the woman who always appeared so strong and tough now looked vulnerable, tears streaming down her cheeks. Beatrice put pressure on Shannon’s torso on the wounds she was bleeding from. 

She tried to reassure her sister that she was going to be alright, “Just breathe, Shannon. In and out. We’ll get you out of here soon.”

After what seemed like years, she heard the screeching tires of the van they had driven to get to their current location. Lilith, Camila, and another Sister Warrior tried to cover Beatrice and Mary. They both carried Shannon while they fled to their escape vehicle outside. 

The ride back to the Cat’s Cradle wasn’t much better than their previous situation. Shannon was getting paler and lost consciousness a few times. More than that, they were still being chased. Beatrice kept her hand on Shannon’s wounds the whole time, applying as much pressure as she could without exacerbating her sister’s condition. All the while, Mary held Shannon’s hand, whispered sweet reassurances to her, crying for her. 

_Was anyone going to do that for me? Am I going to be loved the way Mary had loved Shannon? Probably not, Beatrice is too flawed for that._

xxxxx

Camila had called Mother Superion on the drive back to warn her of the fight and also to seek help from other Sister Warriors for when they reached Cat’s Cradle. Simultaneously, Lilith had called for a surgeon, a fellow nun they knew, often helping them with sutures and other forms of treatment when they got back from a dangerous mission. 

Camila had been the first to get off the van, followed by Lilith. Beatrice carried Shannon’s legs while Mary held her upper body. They brought the Halo Bearer down to the basement, where they laid her on a metal table. The whole idea of it gave Beatrice goosebumps. That table wasn’t meant for the living, it was for corpses. 

A few moments later, she heard Sister Lilith’s voice, turning to her direction. She saw the surgeon’s familiar face, rushing into the room. Mary barely explained what had happened, simply demanding that the surgeon remove all the shrapnel immediately. Mary focused her attention on Shannon, never taking her eyes off her while reassuring the latter woman with her words. The surgeon informed that the shrapnels had caused too much damage, removing them could lead to a more inevitable death. 

At this point, Beatrice seemed to know that there was nothing that could be done. As always, her logic and understanding were superior to the fear and anxiety that she felt. She asked for medicine to alleviate Sister Shannon’s pain instead. Beatrice knew that Mary needed some form of reassurance for herself hence turning to Beatrice, but she couldn’t lie. She didn’t want to cover the gravity of the situation, so she shook her head, _no, they haven’t seen worse._

Lilith spoke, insinuating what she had been thinking all along, she knew that it had also crossed Mary’s mind at some point. Lilith was ambitious, they all knew that, but Lilith also had a heart. They all cared for each other deeply even though they didn’t show it as explicitly as they had liked, but they loved each other. They were Sisters, in this life or the next. 

Everyone in the room turned towards the door upon hearing the loud bang. Beatrice received information on her earpiece and recited it out loud. Mary was mad, but Beatrice knew that Lilith was right, _the protocol has to be followed, it had to happen_. Shannon knew it too. Another loud slam echoed through the walls, Beatrice had to go. She had to help her other sisters. She gave Shannon a kiss on the forehead, it was the most physical intimacy she had given in so many years. Still, Beatrice was certain that she would never get another chance to express the sisterly love that she had for Shannon. 

xxxxx

Beatrice fought to the best of her abilities to prevent the intruders from getting to the basement, but there were too many of them. Only a handful left of the Sister Warriors were still standing. Soon, Beatrice blacked out too. _Once again, my performance is unacceptable._

For the second time that night, Beatrice got up, her head throbbing from the hard blows she had received earlier. Something was wrong. Dead bodies were at every corner of the church, thankfully, there were no fatalities amongst her sisters. Well, except one. She tried to keep the place in order, instructing other sisters to clean up the bodies and helping others bandage the wounded. Beatrice noticed Camila looking somber sitting on one of the pews, she knew the disappointment in the younger woman’s eyes. Camila had been so excited earlier in the day to go on her very first mission, but it had a ghastly turnout. 

Father Vincent arrived about half an hour after she had regained consciousness. He didn’t ask much, he just requested to be taken to their fallen Halo Bearer. It was when only him, Beatrice, and Mary were in the room, along with Sister Shannon’s body, that he solicited a recount of the night’s events. 

She knew that the way she had spoken about the incident sounded cold and detached, as though it was “just another incident report”, as Mary had said. She knew that. Beatrice also knew that if she had allowed herself to dwell on the matter, she would feel that ache inside of her that would take months of healing. Beatrice wasn’t trying to be selfish, she was just afraid that if she got distracted, it would become an unacceptable mistake to those around her. 

Just as Beatrice had finished her recount of the mission, the monk entered the room, frantic. He directed them to the other room and was joined by Lilith. The surgeon who last had the Halo was slumped against the wall, no longer breathing. The monk told them what he had seen, it sounded absurd, but the body bag was there to prove it. The Halo was gone, placed in the body of an allegedly dead girl who had no business with the OCS. 

Ever since Beatrice joined the OCS, she was taught of the importance of the Halo. In her first months, she read all that she could about it in the archives of the library, each book emphasizing its power. It was evident that Lilith was mad, she was supposed to be the Next-in-Line, it was her right. In a way, Beatrice understood Lilith, something that was yours to just be taken away so rudely, Beatrice felt that before. 

Father Vincent declared that he was going to look further into the missing girl’s background; the missing girl who now carried around an Angel’s Halo on her back. The sisters remained in the church, cleaning up and tidying up the place of worship back to how it was prior to the events of that night. Shotgun Mary, instead, got on her motorcycle, her unwavering resolve to find who was responsible for the death of her friend led her away from the Cat’s Cradle. 

xxxxx

The next day, she got up the same time she always has despite the exhaustion from the night before. Beatrice prayed and meditated, she opted out of running that morning -- her body still sore from the fights and impact of the blast -- then she took a warm shower, one that was longer than her usual bath in the mornings. 

Following breakfast was training, the usual. Everything seemed normal that day, except it was more silent. There was no laughing while training or loud chatting during meal times, the whole aura of the Cat’s Cradle was different. _Of course, it would be._ _Shannon was gone, the Halo missing._ Beatrice then wondered why the routine of the day was still similar. 

After completing her duties for the day, Beatrice sat in the library searching through the pages of multiple books in front of her about the Halo and if it indeed had the power to resurrect someone. She sat at the same place for hours until her vision started getting blurry and noticed the cramping in her neck. She didn’t want to leave yet, not until she had discovered something solid that could be used. _Be efficient._ Beatrice repeated that to herself, she had to find something, she can’t leave empty handed, _this is unacceptable_. In spite of her toxic thoughts, Beatrice was smart enough to know that she wouldn’t be able to concentrate fully on the task at hand if her own body was betraying her. She hated that, she hated that although her mind was willing and mentally fit (as mentally fit one would be to still succumb to the constant fear of disappointing others and being turned away is), her flesh was weak. It always had been. She despised the fact that even with the years of training, meditation and practising mindfulness, she was never in full control of her body. 

Beatrice closed the books laid out in front of her, stashed them into her corner then made her way to the common area where she heard the sound of the piano’s soft music. She heard Sister Camila playing on the piano one of Sister Shannon’s favorite songs. She loved hearing the younger woman play, it reminded her of easier times. When Beatrice was younger, she would play the violin to her heart’s content especially during stressful school days. Music always made her feel better but she hasn’t played in years, uncertain why. She remembered the times when her mother would ask her to play music for their guests, it was one of the few times she felt that her mother had been proud of her. Beatrice smiled at the memory but quickly shook her, she did her best not to think of her parents anymore. It always brought her too much pain. _It isn’t the time to focus on your losses, Beatrice. Someone had just died, not everything was about me, I shouldn’t be selfish_. With that, she refused to think more of her past and strode towards Camila, Mary joining her. Mary had placed her arm on her shoulder then Lilith joined them. Beatrice wasn’t used to the physical touch but it was something the three of them needed so she wrapped her arms around Mary’s and Lilith’s waists on each side. 

Beatrice just stood there, immersing herself in the music with her sisters. Her heart felt content at that moment, she was surrounded by people who cared about one another and Beatrice could only hope that someone would play the piano for her too when she left this life. Camila played for a while more with soft tears flowing from her eyes. They would all miss Shannon deeply, especially Mary. Beatrice knew that, in fact, they all did. Mary and Shannon shared a bond that was special to the two of them but nonetheless, they all loved Shannon and Shannon loved them. Moments after Camila pressed the last key and closed the lid over the piano, Beatrice realized that she still had to analyze the fragments from Shannon’s wounds and so she did. 


	3. Life During: 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beatrice following the second episode's events with our first Avatrice encounter. unfortunately, in episode two, they haven't made real contact or conversation so it still mostly focused on Beatrice's daily regular thoughts. 
> 
> Im so bad at summarizing, but enjoying reading!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, this chapter is pretty short despite it being a real hot minute since I uploaded the last chapter. I have been swamped with school work and was unable to write for the past few days but I finally finished this chapter so I just had to publish it right away. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy! feel free to leave your thoughts or any feedback in the comments!

The following day, Beatrice woke up feeling unusual. She couldn’t pinpoint the exact feeling or emotion that had caused this, but she knew that something was off. She sat on the edge of her single-sized bed, thinking, feeling but nothing. 

Last night Beatrice had gone to bed a few hours after Camila’s short piano session dedicated to their late sister, Shannon. Even with the years of learning to control her temper and keep her composure, Beatrice grew frustrated after an hour of trying to analyze the fragments of the Holy metal. It wasn’t due to the size of the pieces that she was unable to learn anything from them, it had been due to its shape. Due to the blast’s intensity, the Divinium fragments melted -- almost as though they were candle wax -- and molded onto Sister Shannon’s body. 

She could only imagine the pain the Halo Bearer had endured. Sure, they were trained to improve their pain tolerance, to focus their minds on other matters instead of the affliction, and Shannon was the strongest she’s ever met, yet she still didn’t make it.  _ Would I have made it? _ Beatrice understood the concept of death and letting go, especially the latter; she has had to let go of a multitude of things in the past,  _ myself included _ . In spite of that, she couldn’t help a sense of loss. Shannon had been a wonderful mentor and an even better friend, not only to her but also to everyone, especially the newer nuns.  _ Perhaps it’s too close to home. _ Shannon had been one of the few people who had given Beatrice another chance at having a family. Now, she has lost another member. 

_ And I can’t even do anything to give her justice. Lilith has been searching for the missing Halo. Mary is tracking down those involved in the fight at the dock. Camila is honoring her. What have I done? Nothing.  _

Maybe Beatrice did have some kind of notion about why she was feeling that way. 

xxxxx

Morning training was tough, Lilith was her sparring partner who had a distinct temper. They still haven’t found the missing girl, and it was really starting to exasperate them. Lilith has been relentlessly worrying about how the “fate of the world hangs on the Halo”, she heard that phrase more times these two days than she could count. 

“It’s no wonder we couldn’t single her out. The chiringuitos were packed with girls just like her last night.” Camila remarked. As sweet as she was, Camila was still trying to master patience and being calm.

Lilith declared that they should keep searching since it was daylight. Father Vincent agreed and further offered to reach out to other parishes. Mary, on the other hand, had differing priorities to theirs. She was intent on looking for those who had killed their sister. Beatrice felt her heart sink as Mary bluntly told them that they were allowing the mercenaries to walk freely by focusing on looking for the dead girl instead. 

_ Ouch, but she was right. I’m letting Shannon down.  _

Beatrice’s distasteful thoughts were interrupted by Mary inquiring about the Divinium fragments. Another reminder of her incapability. She had to inform Mary that her attempts to piecing them back together were futile. 

Beatrice’s mind wandered off for a moment, feeling a little sorry for herself, the next thing she knows, Camila was protesting against the use of a word she hadn’t heard. She could sense the tension in the room and asked to shift their attention back to the crisis at hand, but it seemed like no one cared. Lilith dropped the sword on the altar table and marched over to Mary. They had all been highly strung recently, so Beatrice decided to step in between Lilith and Mary before either of them said another word, just as Father Vincent did. 

She didn’t like this. It had made them all uncomfortable, but she also knew that there would be arguments in every family, especially between sisters. It still didn’t make her feel better, though. Unfortunately for Beatrice, she was about to feel a lot worse. 

xxxxx

Seeing Sister Shannon’s body that way nearly caused her stomach to empty its contents. It was awful; a vast, deep tear covered her whole back. Beatrice was sure she saw fire inside Mary’s eyes, Camila looked disturbed and fearful. She was too, she just concealed it better. Thank God for having some control over my body’s reactions. 

Father Vincent enlightened them on what may have caused the post-mortem laceration. She had an idea of a Tarask was, but just like Camila, she only knew the term from ancient texts. It wasn’t anything she Beatrice was familiar with but was aware of just how grave the whole situation was. Something has to be done. To make herself useful -- mostly for her sake -- Beatrice volunteered to review books and texts for anything that may further help them understand the Tarask. 

Camila offered to help Beatrice with the research; the two ladies made their way to the library where they spent the next few hours. They sat at Beatrice’s usual, the same place she had spent a couple of hours the night before. She’s been spending quite a lot of time there lately, and she wasn’t enjoying it. Don’t be mistaken, Beatrice loves books, she could remain in the same spot for the whole day with her nose buried in a good novel. However, researching isn’t as riveting, especially with the pressure. 

The materials available to them were limited and were not too helpful with the situation. It didn’t fill them in on where a Tarask may go, how it senses the Halo, what exactly it is capable of. The list of questions regarding the demon was lengthy, but the answers they had were only a handful. Beatrice had to remind herself more than once, internally, that she needed to persevere, she had to read until there was something useful. 

_ I can’t leave empty-handed again. _

_ That’s unacceptable. _

_ That isn’t useful.  _

The past few days had been tough on Beatrice, it has been on all of them. Still, the sudden change in the Order’s flow, the unforeseen disruption, made Beatrice realize how little control she possessed. Once again, Beatrice is reminded of how quickly things could turn out for the worse. 

_ But not everything is about me. _

xxxxx

Finally, after some persuasion from Camila, Beatrice makes her way to Father Vincent’s office to share their findings with him. She sat on the chair across him, going through each of the books she has brought from the library. 

“Father? If the Tarask gets the Halo, and takes it to Hell, what will happen?” Beatrice was quite anxious of what the answer might be but she wanted to know but before Father Vincent could utter a word, someone from behind her spoke.

“Hell will rise up and Heaven will fall.” Cardinal Duretti stood by the door, as if waiting for some kind of response. When Beatrice stood up, he started walking towards the table. Beatrice greeted him but left the room almost immediately. 

She went back to the library, where she found Lilith and Camila with a laptop in front of them. 

“What’s going on?” Beatrice asked softly.

“We’re trying Camila’s way, she’s uploading the girl’s photo on some database.” Lilith answered without even glancing at her. 

“Yeah, Father Vincent said we need more eyes, but there’s only so many of us. I just thought that since there are cameras everywhere, if she’s roaming around, one of them is definitely bound to spot her.” Camila’s smile was contagious, it was apparent that she liked what she was doing. 

Beatrice smiled too and sat with them. 

It took a few hours, but there was finally an alert. Lilith got up swiftly from the floor where she had sat down a while ago to read one the books that Camila had already gone through, just to ensure that they didn’t miss anything. Camila moved her fingers across the touchpad of the laptop and yelped out a location. 

Lilith jogged out of the library, letting them know that she was going to prepare for the mission. Camila and Beatrice made their way to inform Father Vincent that they have finally found the Halo. Camila’s pride was evident in how she skipped her way to the main church, her smile as bright as usual. Father Vincent was by the prayer candles when the two women arrived. He had instructed Camila to fetch Lilith once she had narrowed down the location.

“Have you given any thought to what we do when we find her?” Beatrice asked immediately once SIster Camila was out of sight. 

She saw the look on the priest’s face, and she knew he wasn’t going to give Lilith the Halo. It was shocking, to say the least. This was an angel’s Halo, it wasn’t supposed to be on just anyone. The fate of the OCS depends on it. However, despite her skepticism, Beatrice knew that Father Vincent had always been a kind and generous man. He had always been there for all the Sister Warriors, as a mentor, as well as a friend. Beatrice trusted that he would make the right decision. 

“How do you propose to handle her when we bring her back here?” Beatrice questioned, knowing that different people had differing intentions with ‘this Ava girl’. 

After their conversation, Beatrice met up with her sisters at the armory to gather some weapons. They were aware that they were simply going to retrieve the girl, but they never underestimated any situation. Father Vincent had proposed to let the girl decide what she wanted to do. Still, Beatrice had a feeling that it was going to be much more complicated than they anticipated. 

Beatrice, Camila, Lilith, along with Father Vincent drove the van to ArqTech -- where they unexpectedly ran into Mary. Before they could question her, they collectively paused momentarily when they heard the screeching of the Tarask. Mary was the first to run in danger’s direction, followed by the rest of the group. It was right there. Huge and monstrous. Before they could even fathom what that creature was before them, they started shooting at it as it stood by a door, probably where it sensed the Halo’s energy. 

The Tarask had broken through the metal door (and a good portion of the wall). They tried to shift the monster’s attention away from the girl, shooting bullets and firing arrows at it rapidly but to no avail. And with a blinding light, it was gone; vanished before their eyes.

There she was, Ava Silva. She was shorter than Beatrice had expected, but there was also something captivating about her. _ It’s just the Halo glowing behind her, don’t be stupid, Beatrice. _ She was lost in her thoughts for just a second, but the next thing she knows, Ava was walking towards her, muttering something about the door. Beatrice grabbed the sedative from her pocket, grabbed Ava’s arm, and stuck in her neck. She held the girl just long enough so that Father Vincent could hold her up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yea, a cliffhanger, just like every episode of WN. I hope you still liked it though and fret not, I have already started on the next chapter, hopefully I will be able to post in later today. in the meanwhile, let's just stream Warrior Nun again and pray that it gets renewed. 
> 
> feel free to leave your thoughts or any feedback in the comments! thank you for reading and stay tuned for more!


	4. Life During: 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Avatrice-centred chapter in which we follow Beatrice's day and her small conversations with Ava.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello!! I'm back with another chapter today. This is a long one compared to the others and I hop I did their interaction justice what I think Bea could have been thinking and feeling with Ava around. I hope you enjoy!

Upon reaching Cat’s Cradle, Beatrice and Father Vincent carried the unconscious girl to one of the infirmaries’ isolated rooms. Lilith followed closely behind with restraints in hand. Beatrice looked at her questioningly, but Father Vincent said nothing and left. 

“Will you help me with her other hand?” It wasn’t really a question as Lilith had already tossed her one of the restraints.

Beatrice was not fond of the idea, but it was better than the harm Lilith could inflict on the girl for all the trouble she has caused. It was no secret that Lilith was willing to retrieve the Halo back at any cost.  _ They’re just restraints, Beatrice. It’s no big deal.  _

“Stop thinking too loudly, Beatrice,” Lilith commented, making her head shoot up. “This is just a precaution, we have no idea what she is capable of, and I am most certain that she doesn’t have a clue either.” Beatrice knew that Lilith was right, hence choosing not to say anything further. The two of them just stood there for a while, looking at the disheveled thing before them, both unsure what to do next. 

The longer Lilith looked at the girl, the more human Ava became to her. All the while, Lilith had refused to think of Ava as anything other than the one who had stolen her birthright. Yet, now, as she laid on the bed, looking exhausted yet somehow peaceful, Ava was just a girl. 

“What’s going to happen to her when we retrieve the Halo from her back?” she asked softly. Beatrice simply turned away from the girl and sighed. “She was dead.” she added. 

This time Beatrice responded quickly, “Yes”.

“So she’d go back to being dead?”

Beatrice sighed once more, heavier than the last time, “There’s no way of knowing. The Halo chose her.” 

“It doesn’t belong to her. I say we take it out.” It sounded way better in Lilith’s head, but at the same time, she did not want to be responsible for someone’s death -- an innocent human’s death. 

“And if she dies?” 

“That’s up to God.” Lilith stated firmly. Beatrice was taken aback by her sister’s statement. Indeed Lilith was ambitious, but she did not think she was that heartless. But before she could respond any further, the walls started rumbling, the light hanging above their head shook and flickered. Together, they turned to Ava, she was levitating. The only thing that prevented her from rising any further were the restraints that they had placed on her earlier. She spent plenty of time with Sister Shannon before, but she had never seen anything like that and nor had Lilith.

Beatrice cautiously approached the woman, the Halo glowing on her back. Despite how alluring Ava looked at that point, Beatrice felt worry and fear rush through her. She tried to help ease Ava with her words, hoping to calm her down, but like a bear encountering hunters, Ava panicked even more. The next thing Beatrice felt was her spine colliding with the stone wall. The three women flew across the room from the blast that the Halo emitted; she was directly across the room from Ava, who was once again unconscious. Lilith was a few feet away from her, slumped against the wall, evidently gathering her thoughts to get back up on her feet. 

The blast was loud enough to have been heard outside the infirmary, which led Father Vincent and Sister Camila to burst in. As Father Vincent approached the two Sisters, Lilith announced, _quite harshly_ , that they were fine, nodding her head to Ava’s direction instead. Lilith was already up on her feet but was still slightly disoriented. Camila reached an arm to help Beatrice up, which she took gratefully. 

Beatrice took another glance at Ava. Instead of feeling infuriated, just as Lilith was, she felt sympathetic towards the young woman. The fear that she observed in Ava’s eyes earlier tugged on her heart, she knew that fear, she had that fear long ago. Beatrice recalled a similar fear that she lived with for years after being sent away by her parents. She always apprehensive of glances in her direction and feeling trapped by the nuns who supervised her old school. There was a pull that radiated from Ava that Beatrice felt so strongly. 

Camila had demanded that Lilith and Beatrice see the in-house doctor, in case they were concussed or had hurt anything significant from being thrown across the room. Beatrice wanted to oppose this, but her back did not feel right.  _ It’s better to be safe, I can’t afford to take a risk and be more inefficient in the future.  _

xxxxx

Fortunately, after some rest, Beatrice felt much better. She was excused from the physical training the next day hence opting to help out with more domestic chores. She had heard that the new Halo Bearer was being taught Areala’s history and was being introduced to the Order of the Cruciform Sword by Father Vincent and that later on, Ava would be meeting Mother Superion. That last bit worried her, Mother Superion was kind, but she was also one of the toughest and meanest people Beatrice had ever met. Ava seemed unstable enough just being around strangers, what would happen with Mother’s ‘tough love’? Beatrice scoffed lightly, wondered why she had referred to it as ‘tough love’. Mother Superion was never affectionate or soft with any of them. She doubted that it would be anything like love, but she didn’t know what love was either; thus, Beatrice simply tried to brush off the idea in her head as a whole. 

Sister Warriors did everything themselves. They had a duty roster for laundry, cooking, cleaning, and inventory, so Beatrice had done all of those before. However, it was rare that she only did those; as far as Beatrice could remember, she has never missed training ever since she joined the OCS; it was a becoming a dreary day. She walked around the convent in search of Sister Camila to offer her services where it was needed but found her junior in weapons training. Truthfully, she felt alone; Mary hasn’t been around much lately, and Lilith was also in practice. However, Beatrice knew that if she pursued her pointless wallowing, she would only open herself up to further anxiety. Although she subjected herself to it rather frequently, Beatrice detested this self-pity. 

xxxxx

Beatrice found herself back in her room, arranging her knives on the table a few meters away from the door. She grabbed a cloth and a small duster, then sat down to clean her weapons. This has always been a therapeutic routine for her, with each blade she picked up, she tried to recall where she had gotten it from and how it differs from the previous one. It was a task that calmed her mind and freed her thoughts from any stress. Soon, there was a knock on her door, it was one of her Sisters. 

“Sister Beatrice, lunch is already prepared. I know you like beef stew, so I came to get you while it’s hot and before the rest get back from their drills.” She smiled widely. Although Beatrice was only close to a few of the Sisters, she shared a bond with all of them, especially those she had gone on missions with. 

Beatrice was touched by this small gesture, she thanked her with that soft smile that was unique to her and let her know that she would be out in a few minutes. After the other woman closed the door and left, Beatrice tidied her weapons and placed them neatly in their respective places. 

Once she had reached the dining hall, Lilith was already seated with a group of other nuns. Once she had taken her food, she sat down at one of the emptier tables, which was also across the room from where Lilith was. She doubted that Mary was going to show up, she was getting worried. It was no secret how close Mary and Shannon were, but she was afraid that her sister’s emotions clouded her judgment. Mary had always been resilient and tough, but Beatrice was worried that she would make decisions she would regret later on in the future. 

After saying grace for the food before her and thanking God for the life she had, Beatrice silently ate her food. The other sisters who sat beside her made small talk with each other, but they all went silent when Ava stepped in. Beatrice looked up at the younger woman as she made her way to the food collection area. She wasn’t the only one though, almost everyone did, even those who had their backs towards Ava turned around. This slightly bugged Beatrice, why were they all staring at the new girl? We’re nuns for goodness’ sake, why did they have judgemental looks? Beatrice realized that her fellow Sister Warriors were perhaps only staring because this woman amongst them was recently dead but was no longer. Beatrice chided herself for her own judgmental thoughts. 

As Beatrice was eating, Ava sat on her table, beside the other nuns but was surprised that two of them had stood up and left. S _ eems like I wasn’t the one being critical; they were really judging her. _ She was not exactly surprised, though. Beatrice overheard a few sisters talking about Ava’s immaturity earlier; how she was utterly disinterested from the divine gift she was given; how selfish and naive Ava was. She was not sure of any of those statements and refused to comment before getting to know the woman first. Beatrice was aware of how judgment without actual evidence felt like; she did not want to inflict that type of pain on anyone, even when they may never know of it. 

“Never went to middle school, but I feel like I just lived it in a matter of seconds.” Ava lightheartedly joked. This struck a repressed memory in Beatrice quite firmly.  _ She was right, it did feel similar to that. It was awful to have nobody wanting to eat with you.  _

Instead, Beatrice replies with, “Life is coming at all of us pretty hard right now. It might help things along if you didn’t treat everything like a joke.” It sounded harsher than she had intended, but it was the truth, and Beatrice always spoke the truth.

“Yeah, I can’t help it, it’s my default.” This reply sounded more genuine, less like a joke. Beatrice glanced at the woman next to her, and upon realizing that they were sitting with only a small space between them, Beatrice felt her face becoming warm.  _ What is going on? Why am I feeling like this?  _

“The Halo wasn’t just hanging around, waiting for you to show up. It belonged to someone.” She stated further, thinking that if perhaps Ava had some idea of what they had lost from her gaining the Halo, she would treat the whole situation more seriously and with the respect it deserves. 

Ava fell silent, knew that it had indeed belonged to someone else, Father Vincent had told her about it. She didn’t mean to ‘treat everything like a joke’, she just couldn’t help it. It was a form of self-preservation. When she took everything lightly, she would rarely ponder over the consequences or results of those matters, in turn she rarely got disappointed. Being stuck in a bed for over a decade with only her mind as her constant company, Ava developed prime overthinking skills. That’s all she could do that did not result in excessive spiteful words from Sister Frances. Despite her inane exterior, Ava wasn’t insensitive, she was intuitive and could be serious too.

“I’m sorry,” Ava whispered as she turned back to her food, “what was she like?”

“She was intense. Cold, at first. Wouldn’t let any of us in.” Beatrice felt Ava turn to face her. “But when she finally opened up…” she paused, reminiscing over the times when Shannon cheered her on when she was beaten during sparring, when they would discuss their beliefs and how abundant God’s grace has been in their lives. “Shannon was a great friend, especially to the new recruits. Loved pranks. She really got some of us.” Beatrice laughed at the memory of Shannon planting lizards in the vans, phasing through walls to sneak up on young Sister Warriors. It was always a great time with Shannon around. Beatrice noticed Ava smiling lightly too. 

“In the past few months, though, something changed.” Ava observed Beatrice’s face turn somber, the sweet smile the nun had on her face earlier was gone. “It was like she knew.”

“I’m not her, you know.” Ava remarked; from what she heard, Shannon seemed awesome, fearless. Ava was nothing like her, in fact, just a week ago, she was confined to a bed and unable to do anything. The idea of being able to walk was entirely out of the picture. Ava wondered how she could possibly be anything like Areala or Shannon? 

“No one expects you to be.” Beatrice stated firmly.

“I tried telling him. I’m not a warrior, and I’m definitely not a nun.” Ava muttered, reaching for the scarf over her head to pull it down. “This whole place, everything, just isn’t me.” With that, Beatrice felt a pang of guilt, Ava was right, she was just a young girl, she has barely experienced anything, and now she has an angel’s Halo on her back, along with countless responsibilities and expectations. 

“It wasn’t me either. Not at first.” Beatrice replied, hoping to make Ava feel better about her circumstance. She looked around the room at her sisters. “We all have a past, Ava. Secrets that are ours alone. But none of that matters once you realize that not everything is about you.” Beatrice wasn’t sure what compelled her to continue the conversation further, but she did. For a reason unknown to anyone, except to God, of course, Beatrice wanted to make Ava comfortable, leading her to share more than she liked. Beatrice wondered what it was about this new girl beside her that made her feel comfortable enough to talk about her feelings. It took months for her to share anything with her sisters, but here she was, her first real conversation with Ava Silva and she was already insinuating that she had an unpleasant past. 

xxxxx

The two ladies sat quietly for the rest of their meals, it wasn’t awkward, it was fine. As Beatrice finished her meal, she said goodbye to Ava and proceeded to the library to do some reading. Camila had been assigned to follow Ava around, and a part of her somehow wished it had been her. She read a novel for her own pleasure then continued to further study the Tarask, they needed to find out everything there was to know. About two hours later, Father Vincent walked towards her, asking to be briefed on her discovery since they were previously interrupted by the Cardinal. 

The two of them collated what they currently knew, bouncing ideas off one another to better understand the new evil they faced until the older man brought up Ava. He still believed that Ava had been chosen by the Halo itself to be its new bearer, repeatedly emphasizing that it was God’s will for Ava to find her way to the OCS. Beatrice was impartial on the matter, but she did have to admit that it was a massive coincidence for this previously dead girl to merely be lying in their crypt and be resurrected. Perhaps it is God’s will, maybe it is fate. Beatrice asked the priest what he thinks of Ava, and if there was any possibility that the woman would stick around. Father Vincent just kept quiet for a moment before inviting her to check up on Ava while training. 

Sister Beatrice and Father Vincent were on their way to one of the smaller weapons’ rooms when they passed by Mother Superion’s office. There she was, Ava stood with her shoulders slumped forwards and a vulnerable look. Beatrice felt her heart clench at the picture in front of her. Why is she crying? 

“You don’t know me.” Ava firmly stated, even though her voice cracked. It was an awful sight. Beatrice knew Mother Superion liked playing mind games. She always said that nobody could be broken if their mind was strong, no matter how much pain was inflicted on their bodies.

“Make up your mind, Ava. Do you want to live, or do you want to die?” Beatrice heard Mother Superion raise her voice. Had Ava really tried to kill herself? Beatrice wasn’t sure if she felt shocked or sorry for Ava.

Before Mother Superion could continue this torment any further, Father Vincent interrupted, demanding the nun to stop. She couldn’t take her mind and eyes off Ava as she walked behind Father Vincent towards the pair. She put her arm on her shoulder, she did this instinctively. The Sisters always placed their hands on each other’s shoulder or arm, a gesture of reassurance that they were not alone, and it ever made her feel better. It was the only physical contact that she has gotten used to over the years; the only connection that did not make her feel uncomfortable or felt anxious about. Unexpectedly, Ava turned to her, burying her face at the crook of her neck with her arms holding her tight. Shocked was an understatement. No one has hugged her like this before, not even Sister Camila, who was the most affectionate of them all. Beatrice’s body tensed up, she did not know what to do, her hands hovering over Ava’s head and back. 

It’s comfortable. It feels good. Beatrice did not want to pull away so she decided on a spot of Ava’s back and right below her nape. She did not say anything, she stayed silent and let the smaller woman hold her. It was two minutes and twenty-eight seconds that passed while the two women stayed that way. That was two minutes and eighteen seconds longer than any hug she has allowed herself to have in so many years, but she didn’t mind. Ava smelled like vanilla with hints of jasmine. It was an odd combination, Beatrice thought, but it made her feel homey. It made her feel warm. There was something about Ava that made her feel the need to protect her and care for her. Beatrice’s heart truly ached as she felt the other woman’s breathing stagger as she sobbed on her shoulder. 

_ Beatrice, stop it. What are you doing? Those thoughts are unacceptable. Control yourself.  _

Ava noticed the nun’s body go rigid this time and pulled away. Beatrice quickly shifted her arms to her sides but found herself unable to speak. Ava just looked up at her, wiping her nose with the back of her hand as she said sorry. Still, Beatrice just stood rooted to the ground, not speaking. Ava speedily wiped her tears with her other hand and excused herself as she ran out the room. For a few minutes after Ava left, Beatrice could not fully register what had happened. What was it about Ava that just made her feel so good? First it was sharing more than she required then she let her embrace her for far too long. _What is happening to me?_

Beatrice finally exited the room as well but she found herself looking for Ava. She wanted to know that if Halo Bearer was alright. That was her duty after all, to be of service and assistance to the Halo Bearer. After walking through the dimly lit, stone corridors, she found Ava sitting at a corner with a solemn look on her face. That was a pitiful look in comparison to the smile she had worn earlier that day. Beatrice just stood against the wall but could’t find the words to say. 

“I didn’t kill myself.” Ava stated firmly. “Okay.” was the only response she got. 

“I’m serious.” It was cruical for her that Beatrice knew this. She was the only one who had not been rude or at least actively hostile towards her. She certainly in no way harmed her physically or mentally. She had no friends, she had nobody. Ava figured that she would never see J.C and his crew again so she really was all alone. She wanted someone, she wanted it to be Beatrice.

Beatrice returned her gaze for a while before speaking further, “Do you remember what happened that night, before you woke up?” Her voice was soft and gentle. Her accent added a degree of tenderness to her voice. 

Ava responded by telling her that nothing was out of the ordinary when she fell asleep that night and further informed her of the drugs discovered in her system which was odd. 

“I spent twelve years of my life not feeling anything below my chest. Why the hell would I need pain meds?” The disdain in Ava’s voice was evident. 

Beatrice tried to soothe the atmosphere by telling her that the medical report might have been mistaken but it didn’t matter to Ava. So what if the medical report was wrong, who does she have to prove it for, no one believed her anyway. She tried to assure Ava that Mother Superion was simply being herself, hence earning the title of “Cruella de Jesus”. Beatrice smiled softly at the term knowing very well that she had started it when she first came to the OCS and Mother Superion had interrogated her about her past that she never wanted to speak about. Beatrice would never say it directly but she did believe it, she thought of Ava possessing many negative attributes but being dishonest was not one of those. Ava smiled at Beatrice and she found herself smiling too as she asked “What?” 

“I’m just trying to figure out whether your more or less nun-like than the others.” she replied 

“I’m guessing you have had less than ideal experiences with those who’ve taken vows.”

There’s that smile again. Beatrice felt herself being charmed by this girl before her. S _ he’s very pretty but it doesn’t matter. Thoughts like these are a flaw, and they are most definitely unacceptable. _ Unlike the other times, when Beatrice caught herself falling back into the person she abhorred, she didn’t put any distance between herself and the cause of her predicament. She even tried to ease Ava’s mind by letting her know that she took her vows at a younger age compared to the other Sisters. There she was again, opening herself up to this stranger. 

“My parents are in politics. Diplomats back in England.” _Why am I sharing this with her? Why do I feel compelled to open myself up to this person?_

“Conservative?” Ava asked. As opposed to others who had questioned her background further, Ava seemed to have an idea of where she was getting at. _She’s intuitive._

Beatrice nodded, “And concerned about appearances.” For a reason unbeknownst to her, sharing this Ava didn’t feel as difficult as it normally had been, perhaps it was the undivided attention that Ava gave her or the earnest look on her face. “I wasn’t falling into line, so they shipped me off to Catholic boarding school. I guess it kind of stuck .”

“There’s more to it than you’re telling.” Just by that phrase, Beatrice wanted to share more, she wanted to share how she understood the feeling of being unwanted, out of place, and alone. But Beatrice wasn’t strong enough; it had taken her years of practice and strength to build the formidable walls around her. 

“There’s always more.” she stated simply with a smile as she stood against the wall behind Ava. There was a moment of silence before Ava asked for a tour of the place, complaining that she has been training and being abused all day but didn’t even know the place. Beatrice just smiled and obliged. 

The pair walked silently around the convent, showing Ava the essential places such as the training room, the bathrooms, and the outside. As they walked, Ava also apologized for the night before when her emotions resulted in the Halo’ becoming wonky’ and throwing them all against the wall. Beatrice was shocked that Ava remembered it and even bothered to apologize for something beyond her control. Nevertheless, Beatrice appreciated it. 

After showing Ava around the inside of the convent, they went outside and met Camila. Camila was kind to Ava too, she was cheerier than Beatrice. Camila offered to show Ava where she would be staying during her time at the OCS when Beatrice was needed elsewhere. Ava felt a little disappointed because she was actually just getting accustomed to Beatrice and the small talk that they shared. 

Beatrice was secretly glad that she was called away because she could feel herself getting attached to Ava, despite only knowing her for barely two days. She didn’t want that, and she didn’t wish for her years of effort to be ruined by some girl who had no interest in her. Besides, she was a nun, she has committed herself to serve God and only God. Although Beatrice enjoyed her short time with Ava, she tried to focus on other matters that were of more significance and were acceptable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so that was that! i'm glad I finished writing this chapter promptly because im not sure when I will be able to work on the next episode's work. I hope you guys enjoyed it. feel free to leave some comments! thank you for reading!


End file.
